Public Beta
Posted: 2007-03-15 19:46:08
ITO2 will be released soon. A few notes apply before folks proceed with downloading. I apologize for the long-windedness but I really want to prepare folks for ITO2 properly and dispell any notions of a perfect theater that with one click you will be off and flying ITO2. The truth is Falcon is so complex now with so many executables, bugs, and different user configurations and experience levels that getting any Falcon program installation perfect is not easy. What I can promise you is if you get it right like it is on my computer you are going to really be pleased.
1. ITO2 will use CobraOne.exe - the database has been heavily edited and much has been added to the stock FF3.1 database. This database will not work with RV or OF (as far as I know). Those of you may wonder, why the heck did we decide to use Cobra and FF3.1 to build around? The simple reason is that a year and a half ago - that was what we were advised to build around, namely FF3.1, and it seemed like the best, most logical course of action. Unfortunately, as anyone involved with theater development may tell you - the long lead time from start to finish sometimes precludes a release. How many theaters can we count of late that started and never released or had so many problems or were left incomplete? Team members come and go, the project can stall, or interest in an old database or executable to run it may wane. The decision was made, for better or worse to not wait for RV/FF4 to begin this project. Else, the project would have just begun and project projected to finish some time in late 2008!
2. Separate efforts will need to be made to adapt the existing ITO2 database for other executables. The good news is I have detailed spreadsheets listing textures, parents, etc to aid folks in the conversion process. I will offer my assistance to any credible group effort to port ITO2 for the public non-commercial use. However, it will not be an efficient use of my time to try to asist one individual working on his own install, though I will try to answer questions for those using Cobraone. I have already offered to assist FF Team with a working RV version which I personally would love to see working.
3. ITO2 is really only fully appreciated (IMHO) if you have purchased Aeyes payware pits for the F18, F15, and A10, as well as nearly all of his freeware pits. F4ITDG made a decision to build a database around some very good 2d and 3d pit models and obtained Aeyes' permission to adapt the pits to his graphics and build an installer which allows users to enjoy the fully range of new Israeli A/C and make use of Aeyes pits at the same time. If you do not have Aeyes pits you are going to have to make some adaptations of the cockpits folders and possibly edit the database to some degree to avoid problems. If you have all the same Aeyes pits I used to build the database then you will likely have fewer problems. If you have custom pits they may or may not work because the pit graphics must be tailored for the 2d and 3d cockpit models by CCC, Baldeagle, and Buzzz57. Similarly, unlike RV, ITO2 will present older computer systems with some frame-rate challenges. If you have 2GB RAM and a 2.66GHz system with a Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB Ram graphics card you should be able to run 1600x1200 resolution with a reasonable frame rate for most of the campaigns.
4. F4ITDG team was too small to execute a detailed and thorough beta testing period. The bottom line is I built the database, checked each model and cockpit my self in a simple take-off TE and flew the aircraft back to the airfield for landing. Eyran Millis went further and ran tests using his campaigns and flew actual combat missions to test weapons and functionality. CCC also tested using a different system, but that was the extent of our testing. Every new a/c has been flown but every possible configuration of the aircraft and detailed shakedown of the flight models remains to be done. The decision has been made to release the project now - in its current form rather than continue to test with our limited resources until it is perfect. Therefore, those who want to fly ITO2 are welcome but please remember that if you encounter problems that are not within the scope of the readme instructions included with the installation the best we can do is try to work thru those issues.
We will make a post in the next few days on the latest updates since our last posting on progress to include some late additions for skins, models, etc. For the moment, continue to wait - but not to long
1. ITO2 will use CobraOne.exe - the database has been heavily edited and much has been added to the stock FF3.1 database. This database will not work with RV or OF (as far as I know). Those of you may wonder, why the heck did we decide to use Cobra and FF3.1 to build around? The simple reason is that a year and a half ago - that was what we were advised to build around, namely FF3.1, and it seemed like the best, most logical course of action. Unfortunately, as anyone involved with theater development may tell you - the long lead time from start to finish sometimes precludes a release. How many theaters can we count of late that started and never released or had so many problems or were left incomplete? Team members come and go, the project can stall, or interest in an old database or executable to run it may wane. The decision was made, for better or worse to not wait for RV/FF4 to begin this project. Else, the project would have just begun and project projected to finish some time in late 2008!
2. Separate efforts will need to be made to adapt the existing ITO2 database for other executables. The good news is I have detailed spreadsheets listing textures, parents, etc to aid folks in the conversion process. I will offer my assistance to any credible group effort to port ITO2 for the public non-commercial use. However, it will not be an efficient use of my time to try to asist one individual working on his own install, though I will try to answer questions for those using Cobraone. I have already offered to assist FF Team with a working RV version which I personally would love to see working.
3. ITO2 is really only fully appreciated (IMHO) if you have purchased Aeyes payware pits for the F18, F15, and A10, as well as nearly all of his freeware pits. F4ITDG made a decision to build a database around some very good 2d and 3d pit models and obtained Aeyes' permission to adapt the pits to his graphics and build an installer which allows users to enjoy the fully range of new Israeli A/C and make use of Aeyes pits at the same time. If you do not have Aeyes pits you are going to have to make some adaptations of the cockpits folders and possibly edit the database to some degree to avoid problems. If you have all the same Aeyes pits I used to build the database then you will likely have fewer problems. If you have custom pits they may or may not work because the pit graphics must be tailored for the 2d and 3d cockpit models by CCC, Baldeagle, and Buzzz57. Similarly, unlike RV, ITO2 will present older computer systems with some frame-rate challenges. If you have 2GB RAM and a 2.66GHz system with a Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB Ram graphics card you should be able to run 1600x1200 resolution with a reasonable frame rate for most of the campaigns.
4. F4ITDG team was too small to execute a detailed and thorough beta testing period. The bottom line is I built the database, checked each model and cockpit my self in a simple take-off TE and flew the aircraft back to the airfield for landing. Eyran Millis went further and ran tests using his campaigns and flew actual combat missions to test weapons and functionality. CCC also tested using a different system, but that was the extent of our testing. Every new a/c has been flown but every possible configuration of the aircraft and detailed shakedown of the flight models remains to be done. The decision has been made to release the project now - in its current form rather than continue to test with our limited resources until it is perfect. Therefore, those who want to fly ITO2 are welcome but please remember that if you encounter problems that are not within the scope of the readme instructions included with the installation the best we can do is try to work thru those issues.
We will make a post in the next few days on the latest updates since our last posting on progress to include some late additions for skins, models, etc. For the moment, continue to wait - but not to long